


Old Friends

by JoAsakura



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-24
Updated: 2013-02-24
Packaged: 2017-12-03 12:45:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/698379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoAsakura/pseuds/JoAsakura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>an unexpected reminder of Shepard's past shows up on the Citadel, with violent consequences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Friends

"Commander, I think they specifically told us to never, ever return to Chora's Den after our last visit." Kaidan said as they stepped out of the rapid transit.

"Alenko's right, Commander." Garrus echoed with a little smirk. "Something about suing the Alliance for damages?"

"You two didn't have to volunteer so quickly to come with me." Shepard grouched at them. "Normandy will be in port for twelve hours so the crew can get a little bit of liberty. Feel free to go somewhere else." He didn't turn around, but he could feel Kaidan's gaze on the back of his neck.

He enjoyed it perhaps a little too much.

"If you're going to get in another bar fight, Shepard, someone should have your back." Kaidan said quickly.

"Plus, he lost at a counting game with Chief Williams as to who was going to babysit you." Garrus added nonchalantly.

Shepard's attempt at a snappy comeback was cut short by a reedy voice in the shadows.

"Well, they told me and I didn't believe it. Little Shepard all grown up and become a big bad soldier." The speaker was a small man with a face like some dyspeptic rodent.

"I'm.. sorry, have we met?" Shepard said, his tone perfectly neutral.

"Name's Finch. You may not remember me, but we ran together in the Reds. The Tenth Street Reds?" The little man said, the words carrying an air of ritual about them, opposed to actual familiarity. "Of course, you might not remember it yourself. None of the vids sure mention it about you."

"You're right. I *don't* remember you." Shepard took a step forward. "But then, my history's a matter of public record. I don't have anything to hide."

"It wouldn't do for someone to give an interview about the first human spectre's seedy past." The man wheedled. "But I'm not here to give you trouble, Vanya Pastushok, the Reds just need a little favor froWHOULP."

Both Kaidan and Garrus were startled at how quickly Shepard moved, almost the blink of a biotic charge, and his hand was around the man's throat, crushing him against the wall. "Little зяблик, you haven't earned the right to call me that." He said. It would have been mistaken for calm if his normally non-existent accent wasn't slowly thickening. "Who are you and What. Do. You. Want." It wasn't a question, but an order.

"I'm just a runner, a Finch, OK??? Victor Puchenko is our captain - he told me to say that, I don't even know what that MEANS, alright? He just said he'd hope you would do us a solid... for old times sake, you know?" Finch choked out as Shepard dropped him unceremoniously. "One of our brothers, name of Curt Wiseman... got pinched by the turians. We'd like him sprung before the knifeheads ship him to Palaven for trial."

Shepard quirked an eyebrow and Finch rubbed his bruised throat. Behind him Garrus snorted. "The Reds have expanded since your days, Shepard. Salvage, import/export concerns. Expanded a *lot*."

"And he was arrested because...?" Shepard folded his arms, the heavy weave of his armour's oversuit creaking.

"Maybe he had a few keys of red sand on him. You know how the turians are." Finch babbled, pointedly looking at Garrus. "The boss is just hoping you can use a little of that SPECTRE pull and get him released." He fidgeted. "And if you don't, I've got instructions to see about how that al-Jilani reporter might love to hear about how the great commander Shepard..."

"I'll look into it." Shepard said with the kind of calm that his team had come to associate with the highest level of impending violence. "No need to resort to that sort of ugliness... Finch."

"You do this, we'll stay out of your hair.. SPECTRE." Finch mumbled, scuttering off into the shadows of the wards.

"You are seriously not thinking of getting a criminal released, are you Commander?" Kaidan blurted out after Finch was gone, Garrus making a squawk of agreement.

"Please, of course not. Look, Can you two stop down at C-Sec? Find out everything you can about this Curt Wiseman idiot." Shepard said. "This isn't just a drug bust."

"Yeah, it's unlikely they'd be shipping him to Palaven for a couple of kilos of red sand." Garrus agreed, scratching at a mandible. "It would have to be something big."

"What are *you* going to do, Commander?" Kaidan reached out, hand pausing just before touching Shepard's arm.

"Me? I'm going to look up an old friend." Shepard said softly.

~~

"Shepard." The turian cop on the other end of the vid looked less than thrilled to see him.

"Chellik." Shepard sighed. "I need to know if there're any recent intakes at Citadel customs from last name Puchenko, first, Vladimir. Port of origin , Earth."

"SPECTRE business?" The cop asked casually as he typed.

"For now. It might become C-Sec business." Shepard said as he walked.

"Yep. Arrived about a week ago. I've got his hotel arrangement listing." Chellik said.

"Thanks, I owe you." Shepard said, reviewing the data.

"You already owe me for fucking up my undercover." The cop snorted. "Good hunting, SPECTRE."

Shepard leaned against a support post and gazed out the window at the Citadel bustling below as he tapped out another code.

"Wrex."

"Shepard." The krogan rumbled back.

"Wanna go on a date?"

~~~

"Not that I don't enjoy your tiny, squishy company, Shepard." Wrex grumbled as they found themselves at the front doors of a presidium hotel more luxurious than anything Shepard had seen in his life. "But I figured the way you and Alenko have been circling each other, you'd be taking *him* to a fancy pants hotel."

Shepard turned faintly red. "An old acquaintance of mine is staying here." He elbowed the krogan ineffectually. "I think he might be trouble. And he'll be less trouble if I have you standing behind me."

"Yeah, i know those kinds of acquaintances real well." Wrex agreed. "Although, gotta say, Shepard. I didn't peg you for knowing such... troublesome people. You seem like a.. ah, quads, what's the human phrase? A goody-two-shoes?"

Shepard squared his shoulders and looked up at the towering krogan. "I was in a gang on earth. Petty shit. Drug mules for the mob, robbery, low-grade black market stuff." He shrugged. "Strictly local, but towards the end, they were starting to get bigger and way more violent. Mixed up with more powerful families. But. The fact that they've expanded off-world, and are getting mixed up with the turian military? Oh, that smells all kinds of wrong." Shepard sighed. "I feel like it's my responsibility to stop it before it gets worse."

Wrex laughed, a growling bark as he slapped his thigh. "That's a riot, Shepard." He snorted. "So, what, you ditched it for the glamorous military life?"

"Let's just say our association ended really badly." Shepard tapped the faint scars that ran up into his hairline. "Really badly. Let's leave it at that.

"I can respect that." Wrex growled, and followed Shepard in.

~~

It hadn't taken much for the first human SPECTRE to charm the receptionist into giving him Puchenko's room number. They were in the lift, insipid music tinkling in the background, when Shepard's omnitool chimed again.

"Commander." Kaidan sounded concerned. "This Wiseman guy? Poisoned a load of medicine going to a turian colony. It's being classified as a hate crime, and he's got a lot of Earth First Manifesto stuff going on. It's... ugly."

"Thanks Lieutenant." Shepard leaned against the back of the lift. "That's what I needed to know."

"Where are you, Commander?" Kaidan pushed. "I don't think..."

"It's all good, LT." Shepard smiled a little in spite of himself. "I've got Wrex with me. Go tell Chellik that there might be a move made to free Wiseman, and that they should up the guards on him. Talk to you soon."

"Shepard wai.." Kaidan's voice vanished as Shepard tapped off the omnitool.

"You really suck at trying to get him to mate with you." Wrex mused as the door opened. "You're never going to get laid at this rate."

Shepard kicked him. "Shut up, Wrex, and look imposing."

~~

Shepard wasn't surprised to see Finch there when he kicked open the door. The weaselly little man backed away as the room was filled with a clicking chorus, the safeties being turned off two dozen guns.

And on the couch, with an asari dancer on one arm, Vladimir Puchenko.

Shepard remembered him as a youth: handsome and feral. The older boy was the one always with a plan, an angle. Now, his dark hair was streaked with grey, and the lean wolf's face was round with a life well fed. His beard was neatly trimmed and his crisp white suit was at least a month's salary at Shepard's pay grade. Once, they had stolen food and robbed convenience stores together with a knot of scared, hungry children. Once they had cosied up to fat, greasy old men, running packages of red sand and gambling reciepts for a few credits and the promise that yes, sure, the family would love to have them as soldiers eventually.

A lifetime ago.

Puchenko lifted a glass in the Commander's direction. "It's been a long time, Vanya." He said, sipping the deep red wine, before looking around at his men. "Vanya. Well, It's John these days, isn't it? John Shepard." He laughed harshly. "I remember how much you hated being saddled with a western name. But now... Well. You're quite the hero. Elysium. A SPECTRE. Wow. Well done. Care for a hit of the old red, Vanya? I remember you were... very fond of it." He gestured to a little tray of red dust on the table.

"I'll pass, Puchenko." Shepard folded his arms. "You've certainly come up in the world. Going from running sand to... what... trans-galactic acts of xenophobic terrorism?"

"I know, I should have come to you directly about Curt, rather than this stupid little bird." He jerked his chin at Finch. "But I thought you might hold a grudge and shoot me on sight, Vanya. After all, you tried to kill me with your biotics the last time I saw you."

"You were bashing my face in with a lead pipe the last time I saw *you*, Vova." Shepard said the nickname without a trace of warmth. "After I stopped you from killing an old man. But we *were* friends once upon a time. Which is why I'm giving you a one time opportunity to shut down whatever Earth First bullcrap you're involved in before my krogan friend and I kill you and everyone in this room."

"You always were soft-hearted. But it's because of you that we expanded, found new backers, Commander." Vladimir leaned forward, shoving the asari aside, the title dripping with poisoned sweetness. "Those vids of you, standing tall, holding the line on Elysium, against those alien scum. I thought you'd understand what we were fighting for. We're supporting humanity out here in this hostile galaxy."

"You're fighting for your own benefit like always, you son of a bitch." Shepard unlatched his pistol. "The only thing you're supporting is your own wallet. No more innocents are going to suffer because of you."

"Innocents like you were? please." Vladimir sneered. "because those knifehead scum are no more innocent than you ever wer..." he paused, lips forming a silent "O" of surprise as the loud retort of a pistol rang out, bits of blood and brains splattering the fine furniture and Puchenko's soldiers alike.

For a moment, the air hung in a thick, startled silence. Even Wrex looked down at Shepard, a faint twitch on his scarred face. Then, the Commander made a little sound. "Huh," and latched his pistol back to his his hardsuit before turning stormy eyes on the rest of the room

"I'm giving you rest the chance to get out. And I want you off the citadel by tomorrow. I'm trying my best to keep humanity safe while you morons just make it worse. Go the hell home," He said with ice in his words. Behind him, Wrex's momentary surprise turned into a vicious grin. "I have omni-scans of every one of you, and if one of you so much as jaywalks anywhere in the galaxy, I will take the extra time to hunt you down and put a bullet between your eyes. Understand?"

When the last of them, the dancer included, cleared out, Wrex slapped Shepard hard on the back. "Ah, that was anticlimactic. I was hopin' to bash some heads in. But, remind me never to get on your bad side." The krogan snorted, pleased. "I gotta say, you sure know how to show your friends a hell of a time."

"Yeah, I guess I do, Wrex." Shepard said grimly, turning away from the dead man on the couch. "I guess I do."


End file.
